


Locked In

by ishippeditovernight (sonofabitch_awesome)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Coda, Episode: s13e23 Let the Good Times Roll, Family Feels, Gen, Grieving Castiel, M/M, Mute Castiel, Supportive Sam Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-19 16:18:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14877179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonofabitch_awesome/pseuds/ishippeditovernight
Summary: All that Castiel knows right now is the static of his pain, blocking everything and everyone else out.-suuuuuuper late lil 13x23 coda :p





	Locked In

**Author's Note:**

> this is meant to be sorta established (background) deancas, but it didn't come out as strongly as I wanted. Sorta took a different route. Still, I like how it turned out c:
> 
> -cal
> 
> PS: oh and yeah, i'm still around! Just incredibly lazy/ not on tumblr these days. I'm in this fb destiel group, mainly, lately xx <3

**locked in**

All that Castiel knows right now is the static of his pain, blocking everything and everyone else out. Blocking their images out, blocking their voices out, blocking the shades and flavors of high-running emotions. Emotions he is normally so easily attuned to in the Bunker, with so many people over the last few days (though the Winchesters', as always, he'd been more sensitive to than the others').

Everything is muted, lessened, senses dulled. Peripheral vision vanishing the longer he stares.

Not of his choice. He's barely aware of the change, and he doesn't have the energy to pay attention to anything. It reminds him of the occasional times as a human when his sight had gone out of focus entirely and he'd been too tired, too depressed, to bring it back because somehow it seemed like too much effort.

A blurry figure is pausing next to him, descending, resting on the step with him. Castiel doesn't react.

“It'll be okay,” someone is saying, “we'll-- we'll get him back. We will.” A long, strong arm is around his shoulders, a hand squeezing his arm, but it may as well be comforting a mannequin for all Castiel can feel. “He's not getting away that easy.”

Another figure is coming closer in his fuzzy vision. He can just barely register a pair of jeans nearby and Velcro shoes as the person stands closer, and then, as they drop to the ground in a sitting position, he realizes it's Jack, watching him. Probably in concern. “Sam, is he going to be okay?”

So that's who's on the step too, with him.

He should probably try to speak.

“It'll be fine,” Sam says, both in answer to Jack and in a reassurance to Castiel. He pulls his arm back, off Castiel's shoulder, but then he holds onto his hand. Not in the way Dean's done. This way is more of a brother's grasp. An anchor.

Castiel still isn't really able to register or consciously pay attention to anything in the foreground, even if he could unblur his eyes and focus on things, but he thinks he distantly notices Sam reaches forward across him for Jack as well. And he's not surprised when, a moment or two after that, he feels Jack reach for his remaining hand. Completing the circle. Their small family-- missing one very important part.

He'd tell them _thank you_. Tell them _I love you both_ , because he does. Tell them _I know we'll get Dean back_. Tell them _we've always come back from things before, why should this be different?_

He'd tell them, but he'd have to unlock his jaw for that. And he's lost the key. Someone changed the combination. He doesn't see a way he can return to himself yet.

So for right now, he thanks them in the only way he can-- he squeezes both their hands. Probably too tightly. But he needs to let them know he appreciates them both.

They squeeze back. “We know,” Jack says quietly. “We love you, too.”


End file.
